Glaucoma Specialist San Antonio

Glaucoma Specialist San Antonio- Dr. Kavanagh performed the first Glaukos IAccess Trabecular Trephine procedure in San Antonio to help patients with Glaucoma better control their disease.  He was the first ophthalmologist to perform this revolutionary trephination procedure for glaucoma in South Texas. The new procedure can be performed as a standalone procedure or with cataract surgery. It is an elegant way to perform a goniotomy using a specially designed 220-micron trephine. Goniotomy removes the tissue that causes the most resistance to aqueous outflow in the anterior chamber, this is the tissue that can cause glaucoma by elevating the intraocular pressure (IOP). The new method of goniotomy will likely reduce the complications of the procedure that produce bleeding and inflammation, the blood-aqueous barrier will be almost untouched unlike in a traditional goniotomy.

Goniotomy was first described by Barkan in 1938. Current techniques of goniotomy use Needles, Knives, or Other devices to open the trabecular meshwork along its internal 180 or 360 degrees. This can lead to postoperative hyphema and in some cases long-term inflammation due to a breakdown of the blood-aqueous barrier with the refluxing of blood/inflammatory cells into the Anterior Chamber.

Trephination of the anterior chamber using the Glaukos IAcess Trabecular trephine is a way to make a much smaller goniotomy (220 microns) and is designed to only trephinate to a depth of 300 microns due to a shoulder on the instrument tip. Thereby limiting collateral damage to the canal of Schlemm snd surrounding tissues. Goniotomy used in conjunction with the IStent Inject W should lower IOP significantly with an additional 3-5 new openings in the trabecular meshwork. Watch the video of  Dr. Kavanagh performing the procedure below on YouTube.

The Trephine was designed by Dr. Mark Gallardo of El Paso, Texas a friend and colleague.

Dr. Kavanagh practices at Eye Associates of South Texas with offices in Seguin, San Antonio, New Braunfels, Luling, Lockhart, San Marcos, La Vernia, Gonzales, and Hondo. 830-379-3937. www.eyeassociatesofsouthtexas.com or www.eyestx.com, Dr. Kavanagh is fellowship-trained in Glaucoma. Dr. Kavanagh is a board-certified ophthalmologist and clinical assistant professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio Texas, where he has taught many residents cataract and glaucoma surgery. Dr. Kavanagh has performed over 25,000 cataract procedures with intraocular lens implantation. He performs laser cataract surgery and LASIK. He implants PanOptix, Symfony, Synergy, Vivity, Restor, Technis Multi-Focal (MF), Crystalens, and Toric IOLs.

Dr. Kavanagh performed the first IAccess goniotomy in South Texas! He is a Glaucoma Specialist San Antonio.